The present invention relates to spools or bobbins upon which filamentary materials may be wound and, more specifically, to bobbins which may be detachably secured in coaxial, side-by-side relation with identical bobbins on each side. The invention is of particular utility, and is primarily intended for use, in storing and dispensing filamentary fishing tackle.
It is often desirable for a person working with fishing line, leader, tippet material, etc. to have several sizes or weights of such items available for convenient dispensing in a common location. To this end, a number of winding means have been proposed which involve the coaxial, side-by-side mounting of a plurality of spools or bobbins, each carrying a different size, weight or type of filamentary tackle. Some of these arrangements, such as that of Spencer U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,685, provide a spindle extending through central openings in a plurality of bobbins. Others, such as that of Sweeny U.S. Pat. No. 3,430,886, and with which the present invention is primarily concerned, involve structure on the bobbin itself which cooperatively engages structure on another, identical bobbin to releasably attach two or more of the bobbins in independently rotatable, coaxial, side-by-side relation.
Examination of the Sweeney patent will reveal that the bobbin includes a flexible wall which the user must move between open and closed positions with respect to the cylindrical surface upon which the filament is wound. The wall is in the open position for winding materials onto the bobbin, and in the closed position for mutual attachment of a plurality of bobbins and for dispensing the materials. Besides requiring manual manipulative steps, the useful life of the bobbin is limited by the number of times the wall may be flexed in an "inside out" manner before being damaged.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a winding bobbin of novel and improved design including means for releasable interconnection to other, identical bobbins on each side wherein the bobbins require no manual manipulation other than axial movement relative to an identical bobbin.
Another object is to provide a bobbin which may be economically fabricated and is extremely durable.
A further object is to provide a one-piece bobbin for detachable connection to identical bobbins on both sides in coaxial, relatively rotatable relation in a fast, simple and convenient manner.
Other objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.